Cilic beats Muller to set up quarterfinal against Querrey at Queen’s Club

Marin Cilic of Croatia celebrates winning his singles tennis match against Gilles Muller of Luxembourg at the Queen’s Club tennis tournament in London, Wednesday, June 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

LONDON — Top-seeded Marin Cilic set up a quarterfinal with Sam Querrey after coming from a set down to beat Gilles Muller 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 at Queen’s Club on Wednesday.

Cilic was the losing finalist in the grass-court tournament and at Wimbledon in 2017.

“It was not easy, he (Muller) broke me in the beginning of the match and served out the first set,” said Cilic, who is a genuine threat on grass.

“I managed to keep my composure and managed to serve well … It’s last year’s form, it continued this year, grass suits me greatly for my game, my shots hitting flat and deep through the court and serving well.”

Cilic was champion in 2012 at Queen’s Club and runner-up also in 2013. He came close at Wimbledon last year, losing to Roger Federer after suffering from bad blisters in the final.

Fifth-seeded Querrey, the winner here in 2010, beat Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-1.

The big-serving American won in just under two hours against Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam singles champion.

The first two sets were even, but Querrey ran away with the decider to set up a meeting with Cilic at the Wimbledon warmup tournament.

Wawrinka is yet to find his top form after a double knee operation but said he must be patient.

“For sure, I’m sad and frustrated because I need to win matches, I want to win matches and I want more. That’s for sure,” the Swiss said.

“But there is a lot to take in the right way, and I’m sure if I can, as I say, keep doing the right things day by day, building on this and keep trying to improve, the results will come. I need to be patient with that.”

Also, Frances Tiafoe beat Leonardo Mayer 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to set up a last-eight clash with Jeremy Chardy. The Frenchman beat Russian Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (6), 6-3.